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New data shows fewer California kids living in poverty

LA School Report

January 26, 2016

Approximately 44,000 school aged children in California will no longer be living in households considered low-income, according to the latest U.S. Census data, reflecting a positive shift since the recession ended nearly six years ago. While the number may seem impressive, the percentage decrease among children age five to 17 living in poverty between 2013 and 2014 actually fell just half of one percent leading some advocates to point out how much more still needs to be done. “The reduction in poverty was very small, and we still have one in four children currently living in poverty,” Michele Stillwell-Parvensky, policy and government affairs manager for the Children’s Defense Fund – California, said in an interview. “There are differences between (school) districts and student populations; the poverty rates for African-American children actually went up slightly.”Click here to view full article.